The UFC has long been known to have strict testing of athletes fighting under their banner. Since the start of their relationship with USADA in 2015, the promotion has caught numerous athletes who tried to cheat. However, sometimes, the athletes almost did USADA’s work for them.
For those unaware, the UFC has a rich history of athletes who have delved into using unfair means to gain the upper hand. In the pre-USADA era, there was rampant use of PEDs and steroids by some of the best in the game. Following the introduction of surprise drug testing, a lot of fighters were unable to perform at the same level as before.
USADA has just announced that their business relationship with the UFC will come to an end on 12/31.
Furthermore, USADA CEO Travis Tygart issued a pretty scathing press release on the end of an often-complicated almost decade-long relationship. pic.twitter.com/ZaPwtCg6g5
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) October 11, 2023
As such, some of the UFC’s most notable names were either busted or known to have used PEDs. With that said, the list includes names like Jon Jones, Brock Lesnar, Alistair Overeem, Anderson Silva, Chael Sonnen, and many more. On the other hand, athletes like Johny Hendricks, Vitor Belfort, and Chris Weidman among others had a clear distinction in their results pre and post-USADA.
UFC fighters who almost admitted to using PEDs and steroids
For the most part, fighters have either been caught, or their performances after USADA have been a dead giveaway of their PED usage. At the same time, others have come out, years after their retirement, admitting to their usage. Notably, many YouTubers and fans have already made a list of athletes who almost admitted to using steroids whilst they were still active.
1. Jon Jones (UFC 214)
If you have been around the sport long enough, you will know why many hail Jon Jones as one of the GOATs. However, Jon’s career has been littered with failed tests and numerous other controversies and scandals. One of the most gifted and generational fighters in the sport, ‘Bones’ has failed numerous drug tests throughout his career. Notably, Jones has been caught using cocaine on more than one occasion as well.
However, following his win against Daniel Cormier at UFC 214, Jones almost slipped up. In a post-fight interview, Jon stated that he beat Cormier for the first time without steroids and had done the same again. However, a moment of hesitation towards the end, made it seem as though he had to hold his tongue. Eventually, the win was overturned to a no-contest after Jones tested positive for Turinabol.
2. Gilbert Burns
Although he was only a one-time title contender, Gilbert Burns has been around the block. Having come into the UFC in 2014, Burns is about to mark a decade of his tenure in the promotion. With that said, the Brazilian has never really been suspected of steroids or any such wrongdoing. That was until he almost blurted out that he had been implementing the use of steroids.
Ahead of his fight against Belal Muhammad, Burns revealed what he and his coaches were doing to prepare. Speaking to Submission Radio, ‘Durinho’ said, “I’m in great shape like I said. I changed a lot of bad habits since November, I introduced a lot of ster- a lot of things to my training routine”. Owing to a slight slip of the tongue, many felt that Burns almost admitted to using steroids in an interview.
3. Merab Dvalishvili
Ahead of UFC 298, Merab Dvalishvili was a man whose stocks were at an all-time high. Taking on Henry Cejudo, Merab had started to branch out to utilizing social media to his advantage, which garnered him a lot of fans. Thus, safe to say, that he was feeling the wind in his sails during the media day as well. For those unaware, ‘The Machine’ hails from Georgia and is not too comfortable speaking in English yet.
With that said, Merab said during the interview, “My morning training sessions, I have to organize. I’m very busy, I’m doing EP- I need a special coach for these things”. Thus, some believe that the fighter almost disclosed the fact that he is taking EPO, a known performance-enhancing substance. As such, some fans seem to think that it is the only logical explanation for his untenable cardio.
4. TJ Dillashaw
For the most part, TJ Dillashaw had all the makings of a great champion and he was one until he was caught using. Following his loss to Henry Cejudo in 2019, Dillashaw, the former 135 lbs champ tested positive for using EPO. For those unaware, EPO, or erythropoietin is a glycoprotein that increases aerobic capacity and endurance. Thus, Dillashaw’s name was stained but some will argue that the writings were on the wall for a long time.
Ahead of his fight against Cody Garbrandt at UFC 217, Dillashaw had a heated back-and-forth during the press conference. Speaking on the matter, Garbrandt, a former teammate, openly stated that TJ had taught other fighters at Team Alpha Male how to take steroids without getting caught. At the time, the fighter sarcastically remarked how he was ‘on everything’. The comment aged like milk as he was in fact, ‘on everything’.
